Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has taken an initiative to implement underground power distribution network in four major cities to increase the longevity and reliability of the power distribution system. After its implementation, people will get modern power supply facilities, according to PDB.
Earlier, state minister for power and energy ministry Nasrul Hamid said, power distribution companies should be more efficient to meet advanced technological demands. He expressed the hope that underground network would reduce distribution cost as well as ensure uninterrupted power supply.
Nasrul told reporters that all power substations, transmission and distribution lines would be taken underground gradually, in phases. There will be no overhead electricity cables in Dhaka city by 2025. Official said, for reliable and quality power supply, PDB is now going to establish an underground distribution network (33kV, 11kV & LT lines including service connections) in Chattogram, Cumillla, Sylhet and Mymensingh. The other overhead lines will go underground in phases.
To this end, PDB will be signing an agreement on Wednesday with Energy Tron Australia R&D KIS Group for feasibility study and preparation of detailed design to establish the underground power distribution network in its four distributions zones. An official said, the feasibility study would mainly start following the review of the distribution master plan network and the evaluation of the existing distribution network.
The work was aimed to reduce the average system interruption duration index and average system interruption frequency index in power distribution areas under PDB. It would play a vital role in fixing low voltage and load-shedding problems which the citizens of major cities have been facing for a long time, he added.
According to BPDB, in case of overhead distribution network, the following problems are faced during natural disasters like cyclone, heavy rains, storm, earthquakes etc.- Falling of poles, transformers structure, and snapping of conductors due to trees falling on lines and falling of poles towers.
Restoration of damaged network needs longer time and heavy investment. Power supply interruption for longer periods affects all other sectors. ln case of underground cabling, the above problems will not be there since the cables will be below the ground and will not be affected even by cyclonic winds. Further the aesthetics of the city will be maximized and improved, accidents will be minimized and greenery of the city will be protected as there is no need to cut the tree branches.
Sylhet is the first city in the country to have a road with no overhead cable. Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) successfully initiated underground power lines in the Dargah Gate area and removed all overhead cables and electric poles last month.
A seven-kilometre area of the city is about to go overhead cable free by February under a pilot project, costing Tk 55 crore. In this context, Nasrul Hamid said, Sylhet city is being changed. There will be no overhead cables beside the roads. The installation work of overhead line is going on to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply. Some of the work has already been done. DPDC has already worked to lay underground cables in Dhaka. However, underground cable lines including in Narayangonj, Savar, Keraniganj and all other cities across the country will be laid in phases.